Wrestling or BJJ — Which One is Better?
Have you ever wondered, which one is better, wrestling or BJJ? In case you did, don’t worry, you are not the only one. BJJ vs wrestling argument is one of the most popular in the grappling world and we would like to give you our opinion on this debate.
In this article, we will take a closer look into what wrestling and BJJ are bringing to the table. You will learn how they differ from one another and which is better for self-defense, MMA fighting, and even how these two match in a street fight.
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Wrestling or BJJ- What are the main differences?
Even though both are grappling arts, BJJ and wrestling are a world apart in just about every single aspect. They differ a lot when it comes to history, techniques, rules, and training. That said, let’s take a closer look at some of the major differences.
Rules and techniques
Wrestling is one of the oldest and most popular grappling sports in the world. The emphasis is on takedowns and throws wrestlers use to score takedowns. Once on the ground, they use various joint locks or pins to hold subdue the opponent.
BJJ fighters also use takedowns to go to the ground but not the ones from wrestling. The emphasis is on using Judo throws, sweeps, and trips rather than wrestling single/double leg takedowns. Unlike in wrestling, the action in BJJ really starts when the fight hits the ground. This is where its fighters shine with vicious chokes and joint locks they use to submit the opponent.
The goals are much different
In wrestling, the main goal is to take the opponent down using takedowns or throws and subdue them with a pin. Its emphasis is on the rules of the competition and it is more of a sport than a martial art in some way. The focus is on scoring points, not learning how to fight off the attacker in a fight. But no one can deny that all you learn in wrestling will work in a real fight as well.
BJJ on the other side is a true martial art that puts more emphasis on self-defense. Like in wrestling, the initial goal is to take the opponent down to the ground. But, the emphasis is on finishing a fight using chokes and joint locks to submit the opponent. You can really hurt or even kill someone using BJJ techniques.
The intensity and aggressiveness
The action in wrestling is usually much faster and it is all about being aggressive and explosive. It is known as a cardio intense sport that will push your mind and body to the absolute limits. Still, this is why wrestlers are among the strongest people in the world who also have great cardio.
BJJ is often seen as a human chess match in which two people grapple at a much slower pace than in wrestling. To place a submission, one must stay calm, think three steps in advance, and be the smarter fighter. Even though the training is hard, it is not as intense as in wrestling.
Can a wrestler beat a BJJ fighter in a street fight and vice versa?
It’s fair to say that fighters from both arts can beat each other in a street fight. Yet, this really depends on what type of street fight we are talking about. As we know, each of these two martial arts works in certain scenarios.
The thing is, we have seen BJJ vs wrestling matchups in the early days of MMA. Why is that so important, you may ask? Well, the early MMA/UFC days were a bit different since we didn’t have any rules in place. There were no rounds, time limits, banned strikes, or even weight classes. These events were legal street fights that gave us many answers.
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During those days, BJJ fighters were superior to other fighting styles, including wrestling. Wrestlers didn’t have a problem scoring a takedown. But BJJ fighters would submit them off their back without much problem. But the tables started to turn around as soon as wrestlers have realized how to apply ground and pound techniques. The father of this technique was the former UFC champ, Mark Coleman.
In a real fight, BJJ fighters have an advantage because wrestlers don’t know how to defend against submissions. They would take BJJ fighters down most of the time. But they would be in all sorts of trouble once BJJ fighters pull guard and start to attack off their back.
Further, wrestlers tend to leave their necks wide open while scoring takedowns, which may be good for wrestling. But a skilled BJJ fighter would wrap their hands around their neck in a split of a second. Not to mention how they can place a nasty submission off their back.
Wrestling or BJJ for MMA?
We must say that both BJJ and wrestling are, perhaps, the most important fighting skills in modern MMA. We even don’t have to waste words explaining why this is so. You can’t fight in modern MMA and expect to do good without grappling skills. Sooner or later, the lack of ground game will catch up on you.
BJJ has been a part of MMA since day one. In the early 90s, Royce Gracie showed the world the importance of the ground game by dominating the scene for many years. He used ground skills to beat fighters from other styles, often twice as big as he was, and under limited rules. As for modern times, BJJ plays an even bigger role.
Wrestling has also always been important in MMA. But its effectiveness started to emerge in the mid-90s with the likes of Dan Severn and Mark Coleman. Over the years, wrestling has become, by many, the best base for MMA. Most of the UFC champions actually come from wrestling which shows you how important it is in MMA.
Wrestling or BJJ for self-defense?
Both BJJ and wrestling have many pros and cons when it comes to how useful they are for self-defense. Still, we must say BJJ might be better for several reasons. If you want to get into martial arts to learn how to defend yourself then jiu jitsu might be a perfect choice.
You see, wrestling is more a sport than a martial art that will teach you how to defend yourself on the streets. Don’t get us wrong, all wrestling techniques work in real life and will get you out of trouble. But the emphasis is on competition and rules rather than on self-defense tactics.
BJJ is better in our opinion because its emphasis is on teaching you how to react in real-life situations. It is the only art that will teach you how to beat much bigger and heavier people which is perfect for street fighting. And if you look at the history of jiu jitsu, the Gracie’s and BJJ earned their reputation fighting on the streets of Brazil.
What advantages BJJ has over wrestling?
BJJ is better than wrestling in many aspects, notably when the fight hits the ground. Even though BJJ fighters don’t look as athletic or as strong set against wrestlers, don’t let this fool you. Unlike wrestlers, they can break your arm/leg or put you to sleep in a blink of an eye.
The advantage jiu jitsu has over wrestling is that BJJ teaches you how to finish the fight. And, BJJ fighters don’t mind working off their back either. You see, wrestlers are good at getting powerful takedowns and holding you on the bottom. But it won’t teach you much about how to finish the opponent with submissions or strikes. And the ability to finish the rival is crucial for any type of fighting.
Further, BJJ fighters are like fish in the water when on the ground and they don’t mind working from any position. They can apply submissions off their back, top, side control, or any other position. On top of that, they know how to scramble and use escapes to change the position at any moment. Wrestlers, however, are dominant as long as they are on top and not a single one of them feels good working off their back.
What wrestlers can learn from BJJ fighters is what they lack the most: how to defend or attack with submissions and fight from the bottom. They are already more skillful in getting takedowns and keeping top position.
What advantages wrestling has over jiu jitsu?
Even though BJJ is one of the best grappling arts, wrestling still has an edge in many areas. The biggest advantage wrestling has over BJJ are relentless and powerful takedowns. Not a single martial art in the world will teach you better takedown techniques than wrestling.
A skilled wrestler would take BJJ fighter down in most cases without any problem. This is mainly because BJJ won’t teach you many wrestling techniques which is wrong in our opinion. Each grappling art should be open to other techniques that may improve the overall effectiveness.
Wrestlers spend their entire careers learning how to attack or defend against takedowns on a daily basis. They are so good at slamming people on the ground and holding them there that it is almost impossible to stop them. Not to mention how grueling wrestling training sessions improve your strength and conditioning.
Can you train wrestling and BJJ at the same time?
You would be amazed to find out how many grapplers train in both wrestling and BJJ at the same time. As said above, these two grappling styles differ in many aspects with each having many pros and cons. But in order to become a complete grappler, you should train in both arts at the same time since BJJ and wrestling complement each other.
Don’t look any further from modern MMA and its best fighters if you want an example. Grappling is one of, if not the key aspect of MMA. Every top fighter is an expert in many martial arts, including both BJJ and wrestling. In some way, you can’t expect to succeed in the sport without having both BJJ and wrestling skills.
Gilbert Burns is the former BJJ world champ who has developed really good wrestling skills for MMA. And Khabib is a great example of how dangerous wrestlers become when they learn BJJ submissions.
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